Casing for telephone instrument adapted to be used either as desk set or wall set



' J. C. BJERKNES CASING FOR TELEPHONE INSTRUMENT ADAPTED TO BE USED EITHER AS DESK SET 0R WALL SET Filed Dec. 12, 1947 June 26, 1951 Patented June 26, 1951 UNITED STATES "ATENT OFFICE.

CASING FOR TELEPHONE INSTRUMENT ADAPTED TO BE USED EITHER AS DESK SET OR WALL SET Application December 12, 1947, Serial No. 791,361 In Norway January 23, 1942 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires January 23, 1962 9 Claims.

The present invention relates to a casing for telephone instruments of the type, in which the cradle of the micro-telephone constitutes a part of the casing itself. In instruments having a movable cradle it is previously known to shape the cradle in such a way, that the instrument may be used both as a table and a wall instrument. The object of the present invention is to provide such a shape of the casing for telephone instruments having a fixed cradle, that the easing may be used both for table and wall instruments. When constructing a casing for an instrument of this type it is firstly necessary to shape the cradle for the micro-telephone so that it will give the same and sufficient support for the micro-telephone independent of the position of the casing, and secondly the member for operating the switching springs arranged in the cradle must be formed in such a way, that said member is actuated by the micro-telephone in the same manner, irrespective of the casing standing on a table or being mounted on a wall.

The invention will be described more closely with reference to the annexed drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a section on the line B-B in Figure 2 through a casing according to the invention,

Figure 2 is a front view of the casing partly in section,

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the casing when arranged in a horizontally supported position, and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the invention when arranged in a hanging position. On the drawing I indicates the casing having a bottom plate 2 and projecting horn-like members 3, 4, each of which forms a cradle 5 for the microtelephone. The centre line or symmetry axis 6--6 of the cradle in a section (shown in Fig. 1) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the handle of the micro-telephone when placed in the cradle forms an angle of about 45 with the plane of the bottom plate 2. In one or in both of the cradles 3, 4 there is a spring operating member 1 for the switching springs 8 in the easing. Said member is shaped as a lever, which is movably attached to a shaft 9, the free end of said lever forming a part of a circular plate Ill which protrudes through a slit II of the easing into the cradle 5 approximately in the direction of the centre line or symmetry axis 6-6 of the cradle. Said plate Ill thus protrudes with a part of said plate into that range of the cradle which is occupied by the micro-telephone when resting in the cradle, the centre line or, symmetry axis 6-6 thereby (in the section shown in Fig. 1)

cutting the circular outline of the plate [0. On placing the micro-telephone in the cradle the micro-telephone will press down the plate [0 into the instrument, whereby the switching springs are actuated in an effective manner, the actuation being independent of the position of the casing and being the same whether the casing stands on a table or is mounted in a vertical position on a wall.

I claim:

1. A telephone instrument adapted both for desk use and for wall mounting, comprising a handset, a casing, a bottom plate for said casing, and parallel upstanding handset supporting arms fixedly extending from said casing in a direction away from said bottom plate, each of said arms having a similar open recess adapted jointly to receive and cradle said handset, said recesses opening outwardly in a direction acutely inclined to the perpendicular to said bottom plate, switching springs within said casing, and a spring operating lever located within at least one of said arms and journalled on an axis parallel to the longitudinal direction of a handset cradled by said arms, said lever having a portion extending into the recess of said arm and terminating adjacent the inner wall of said recess for operation by the weight of said handset regardless of whether said casing is mounted with its bottom plate upon a horizontal or a vertical surface.

2. The invention in accordance with claim 1 in which said lever terminates in an arcuately profiled portion extending into said recess.

3. A telephone instrument adapted both for desk use and for wall mounting, comprising a handset, a casing, a bottom plate for said casing, and parallel upstanding handset-supporting arms fixedly secured to and extending from said casing in a direction away from said bottom plate, an open recess in each Of said arms adapted jointly to receive and cradle said handset and opening outwardly in a direction acutely inclined to said bottom plate, each of said recesses having an inner wall, switching springs within said casing, and spring operating means located in at least one arm, and having a portion extending into the recess in the last-named arm and terminating adjacent said inner wall for operation by the weight of said handset, said portion being mounted for operating movement in a direction substantially coinciding with the outward opening direction of said recess.

4. A telephone instrument in accordance with claim 3, in which said recesses open outwardly in a direction at substantially 45 to said bottom plate.

5. A telephone instrument in accordance with claim 3, in which said means comprises a lever journalled on an axis parallel to the longitudinal dimension of a handset cradled by said arms.

6. A telephone instrument in accordance with claim 5, in which said recesses open outwardly ina direction at substantially 45 to said bottom plate.

7. The invention in accordance with claim 5, in which the lever terminates in an arcuately profiled portion extending into said recess.

8. A telephone instrument adapted both for desk use and for wall mounting, comprising a handset, a casing, a base plate for said casing, and elements extending from said casing in a direction away from said base plate and defining a cradle recessed to receive and support said handset, switching springs Within said casing, and a movable spring-operating member located within said casing and having a portion extending into said recessed cradle, said portion of said member having a surface inclined to the plane of said base plate for engagement and operation by the weight of said handset regardless of whether said casing is mounted with its base plate upon a horizontal or vertical surface.

9. A telephone instrument adapted both for desk use and for wall mounting, comprising a handset, a casing, a bottom plate for said casing, and parallel upstanding handset supporting arms fixedly extending from said casing in a direction away from said bottom plate, each of said arms having a similar open recess adapted jointly to receive and cradle said handset, said recesses opening outwardly in a direction acutely inclined to the perpendicular to said bottom plate, switching springs within said casing, and a spring operating member located within at least one of said arms, said member having a portion extending into the recess of said arm and terminating adjacent the inner wall of said recess and shaped for operation by the weight of said handset regardless of whether said casing is mounted with its bottom plate upon a horizontal or a vertical surface.

J OHAN CHRISTIAN BJERKNES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Telephony, pages 30 and 31, April 2, 1949. 

